The following text may have been generated by Optical Character Recognition, with varying degrees of accuracy. Reader beware!

www.oakvillebeaver.com The Oakville Beaver Weekend, Saturday November 11, 2006 - 21 Lieutenant Governor shares his battle with depression By Tim Whitnell SPECIAL TO THE BEAVER Suicide and depression surrounded Suicide and depression surrounded James Bartleman as a child and he experienced crises of his own as an adult. He survived and has made it his goal to help others thrive amid desperation and depression. The Lieutenant Governor of Ontario set out his intertwined personal and professional agenda in the battles against depression, discrimination and illiteracy when he spoke to the Halton Suicide Prevention Coalition last week. The 66 year old, the province's lieutenant governor since 2002, talked candidly about his own depression demons, how he has overcome them and his current focus on the plight of native Canadians in Northern Ontario and the territory of Nunavut. Bartleman is a member of the Mnjikaning First Nation. He was born in Orillia and grew up in the Muskoka town of Port Carling, near Parry Sound. The first of three books he has written, the memoir Out of Muskoka, was published in 2002. It won the Ontario Historical Society's Joseph Brant Award in 2003. He has donated all royalties from its sale to the scholarship fund of the National Aboriginal Achievement Foundation. Realizing the power of the printed word, and the need for enhanced literacy in general among some native Canadians, he launched The Lieutenant Governor's Book Program in 2004. His efforts resulted in the collection of more than 1.2 million used books, donated by Ontarians to stock school libraries in First Nations communities in Northern Ontario. To further encourage literacy and understanding, in 2005 Bartleman launched a program to twin native and non-native schools in Ontario and Nunavut. He also established literacy summer camps in five northern First Nations communities. This past summer the literacy camp program - it also includes crafts, sports, and native language and cultural instruction - was expanded to include 35 camps in 28 fly-in (remote) First Nations communities. It served 3,500 native children. The literacy effort is aimed at giving native youth an opportunity at a better education and more options in life. "I speak more for aboriginal children in Northern Ontario because in the south they have more opportunities," Bartleman told the audience of mainly suicide prevention coalition members. Bartleman hopes to put a dent in the endless cycle of poverty and hopelessness he says he sees in some remote native communities. "I was shocked when I went back to Northern Ontario and not much had changed since I was a kid. "In the general population it's usually older males that commit suicide. In the aboriginal population it's usually the Ontario Lt.-Governor James Bartleman youth - 12, 13, 14 year old boys and girls. "On average, aboriginal kids are five years behind non-native kids (academically) and are about 10 times more likely to commit suicide." While visiting one of the summer camps, Bartleman said an aboriginal leader told him some native youths are in a state of perpetual rage, hurting themselves and others and burning buildings; he was told of three adolescents aged 1214 who hung themselves. "It seems that across this area kids are seeing hooded, ghostly wraiths telling them to leave this life." Growing up in the Muskoka region in the late 1940s and '50s, Bartleman said despair could be found around his native community as well. "A neighbour on one side hanged himself, the neighbour on the other side shot himself. It seemed like the middle class way" for people to handle their problems, he said, adding he also knew of a local storeowner who drowned himself and another resident who asphyxiated himself with car exhaust fumes. "Everyone knew in the community but no one talked about it," he said of the personal sufferings and subsequent tragedies. "My own mother (an Ojibwa) suffered Though he says there does- this summer there were no suifrom very bad depression when we were n't appear to be a single solu- cides, and in the ones around young and she still does" to an extent, he tion to the problem, Bartleman ours there were, so I think we're is stressing reading and writing. onto something." said. Bartleman said he wants to Despair coupled with what he termed "I focus on literacy to give "casual racism" across the country made them greater self-esteem and take the native/-non-native life difficult and often unbearable for coping mechanisms. They now communities twinning concept across Canada and that he has many native Canadians, he said. Still, have libraries. Bartleman survived and was the benefici- "In the (northern) commu- had some interest from the ary of an American who took a liking to nities where I had my camps province of Alberta. him and ensured he got a university education. As a young man Bartleman embarked on a 35-year career in the Canadian forck-up eign service. He opened Canada's first Dental Che nt diplomatic mission in the newly-indeappointme thodontist Or pendent People's Republic of Bangladesh in 1972 and served in senior positions in Hair cut the Department of Foreign Affairs and ed Eyes Check International Trade starting in 1967. He has been Canada's Ambassador to the European Union (2000-02) and served But what about your spine? as High Commissioner to Australia (1999Don't forget how incredibly important your spine and nervous system are for your health! 2000) and South Africa (1998-99). From Call now, 905-845-2291, to schedule a health audit 1994-98 he was foreign policy advisor to with Dr. Jenna Davis, Pediatric and Family Chiropractor. the prime minister and assistant secretary to foreign and defence policy, Privy Dr. Jenna Davis Family Chiropractor/Acupuncturist Council Office. He was Ambassador to the Alliance Healthcare Professionals North Atlantic Council of NATO (199094), Ambassador to Israel and High 905.845.2291 Commissioner to Cyprus (1986-90) and 232 South Service Rd. E, Oakville, ON L6J 2X5 Ambassador to Cuba (1981-83). In the latwww.alliancehealthcare.ca ter position he got to know dictator Fidel Castro and developed "an aversion to everything he stood for." In February 1999, at the age of 59, Member of Alliance Healthcare Professionals Inc. Bartleman was attacked in his Cape Town, South Africa hotel room by a robber about "Providing quality foot care to meet all your foot health needs" 40 years younger. He was kicked and beatSpecializing in: en badly. · Foot/Arch Pain "I managed to escape with my life but fell into a deep depression. I entertained · General/Diabetic Care suicidal thoughts (but) I wasn't too ashamed to seek help." · Permanent Ingrown He credits medical treatment with "the Toenail Removal right amount of serotonin blocker" with SALIMA KASSAM · Custom Made Foot Orthotics aiding his recovery. "Those thoughts of REG. CHIROPODIST suicide just vanished." P "Thinking about suicide and being depressed seem to be closely related," he said. "Society is ready for a change but it's not happening. Too few people are speaking out about it." Alliance Chiropody (Foot Care) Clinic AMERICAN EXPRESS EXPRE CALL 905-845-2291 232 SOUTH SERVICE ROAD E. OAKVILLE Laugh Your Stress Away with Dr. David Posen Halton Healthcare Living Healthy series presents Laugh Your Stress Away a free seminar that is being held Wednesday, Nov. 15 at LeDome Banquet Hall 1173 North Service Rd. E., at 7 p.m. The event will feature Dr. David Posen, Stress Specialist and author of three best-selling books. Research has shown that laughter on a regular basis lowers levels of stress hormones, lowers blood pressure, boosts the immune system, reduces pain and calms the nerves. Posen's seminar is high energy, encourages participation and offers a lot of humor and laughter. To register call 905-338-4379 or e-mail elittle@haltonhealthcare.on.ca. CALL THESE PROFESSIONALS GALL & ASSOCIATES OPTOMETRISTS Our goal is clear comfortable vision. Comprehensive Eye Exams Laser Vision Care Contact Lenses & Glasses New Patients Welcome 247 North Service Rd. W. Suite 203 905-338-2020 Dr. Ronald Gall Dr. Susan Che www.visionsource-drgall.com AT DORVAL DRIVE